Ups and Downs
by Cuboid
Summary: This urge to get close, to touch, to feel, to speak, to see - it was overwhelming him. To have her wide, vulnerable eyes piercing the darkness; to see her gaze move slowly, unwillingly down to his lips... Too much. It was too much.
1. Lo

_A/N: Lack of plot in this story. -.- I made it up as I went along. This'll be a two-shot, this chapter will be a lot longer than the second._

* * *

"Miss Haruno, we have a patient in Ward 3 we need you to attend to."

Sakura flipped around quickly, her pink strands lightly tapping her creamy cheeks. Her emerald eyes spotted the owner of the voice and she nodded at the assistant nurse, holding the folders in her arms more securely to her chest.

_Work, _the one word she had begun to dread. When did the naive thirteen-year-old girl who thrived on healing people's wounds and saving lives, become nothing but a mindless drone inside of the hospital?

She knew the answer and forced it to the back of her mind to help keep her anger in check. She'd gotten used to doing it – not losing her temper over the smallest of things, not punching the objects of her annoyance or yelling at innocent males who might have just given her even the slightest lecherous stare.

It was _that day. That day _her forced, strong barrier finally broke, crumbled into a pile of sand beneath her feet then blew away in the wind, never to return.

It was _that day, _when Sakura Haruno came back to life.

* * *

"Sakura, bedpan in Ward 4 needs changing."

"Miss Haruno, kunai wound at Ward 6."

"Haruno, genin with flu, Ward 3."

She wouldn't get angry – not her. Sakura Haruno was a nice girl. The nicest medic in the Leaf Village. She'd do anything for anyone. Such a pleasant, helpful girl.

"Sakura."

"Sakura."

"Miss Haruno?"

"Ma'am?"

"Are you okay?"

But wasn't it okay to get angry once in a while? Hinata was always thought to be shy, but there were times when she was bold – even bolder then Neji. A change in personality would be alright for Sakura, wouldn't it?

"That bedpan really needs changing—"

"The guy with the kunai wound is getting really restless..."

"The genin's parent's said they're going to file a complaint if—"

It shattered. Suddenly, calm, serene green eyes flashed a dangerous emerald; shiny, sleek pink locks whipped her face angrily; teeth clashed together in rage. The feral side of Sakura had escaped.

Her fists crackled, her arms tensed and her body went rigid. The three medics in front of her stood in stunned, shocked silence as they examined the change Sakura Haruno, the nicest girl in town, was undertaking. Her small, clenched fist glowed blue.

"S-Sakura. A-Are you okay—"

A high-pitched, bloodcurdling scream echoed around the office, travelled through the nurse's bones and etched into the walls. Before they could register when, how and why, Miss Haruno's fist had impaled itself into the floor, coating everyone in the room with debris as the tiles flew up from the floor, as though jumping to escape the cold, chilly chakra. Bookshelves tore themselves away from the collapsing walls, files floated through the air like snow and the floor-length window exploded into miniscule fragments, coating the medics and Sakura in powdery glass.

When the three medics had managed to emerge from the gray, fallen debris, their bones trembling in fear and confusion, they saw nothing left of the office. Sakura's desk was now in small, wooden splinters on the floor and the walls that had once made a room were now lying in chunks among the other rubble, only one column remaining to support the floor above them.

Some civilians who had happened to witness the whole episode were cupping their mouths in shock, chattering excitedly among themselves or glancing worriedly at the three medics who looked traumatised.

Jonin turned up within moments, examining the scene and thoroughly asking surrounding witnesses' questions. The medics were taken off for examination.

As they scoured through the wreckage for anyone who may have been crushed during the 'accident', one jonin spotted an envelope, resting atop of the pile of splinters that had once been a desk. He leaned over, moving out a large chunk of wall in order to get to it. His fingers grasped the paper tightly and he lifted it up to his face, scanning the words that were scribbled on the back.

_Letter of Resignation._

* * *

"Sakura Haruno? Yeah, I heard she had a nervous breakdown and quit her shift at the hospital. Such a shame – she was a nice girl."

"Did you hear about Haruno? Apparently, she blew her top at the hospital and took out nearly an entire floor with just one punch. People are saying she resigned afterwards so she could train more in offensive combat. A girl that strong shouldn't have been in the hospital in the first place."

"Ah, man, Sakura Haruno applied for the ANBU Combat Department. She was accepted after just a few hours but then they sent her away to the ANBU Medical Department. I hear the Captain is still in hospital receiving treatment."

"Sakura Haruno..."

"...nervous breakdown..."

"...completely crazy..."

"...hungry for power..."

"...corrupted psycho?"

Her name was everywhere. She couldn't walk down the bustling streets of Konoha without having it uttered once among the shinobi or civilians. How were they to know that every time her name – whispered with such scandal – reached her ears, the muscles around her heart clenched tightly?

"Idiot's..." she muttered to herself, her black boots thumping threateningly against the sandy ground as she increased her speed, hoping to reach her destination faster. She flipped around the corner, intentionally not realising the quizzical gaze she received from a team of Genin. But she knew it was only a matter of moments before their whispered rumours would reach her ears and, sure enough, her name would be among them.

Cursing under her breath in a hoarse, irritated tone, she swiftly turned and burst through the door to a shabby-looking apartment. Once inside, she pressed her back to the cold wood and attempted to still her beating heart.

Was there nothing better to do in Konoha other than gossip? It was almost like they bathed in the humiliation of upright shinobi.

"Hey Sakura, what's bit you on the ass?"

Her downcast eyes flicked up hurriedly and she met the slanted, mischievous eyes of Kiba. A large Akamaru panted heavily at his side and the sheen, white fur glistened in the light, dusty ray of sunlight pouring in from a nearby window. Sakura raised a slightly uneasy hand and pushed her fingers through her pink locks.

"They're still talking about it," she spoke bluntly and with a low, hushed tone as though others could hear her. Kiba let out a loud, short laugh and placed a hand to the back of his spiky, brown locks. He rested another atop Akamaru's soft head.

"So you ran away to my place, huh? Can't say I'll turn you away now." He plunged the hand that had been resting on his hair into his pockets and took out a set of keys. He threw them to Sakura, who caught them rapidly in one hand – the reflexes of a shinobi. She smiled genuinely at him.

"Thanks, Kiba."

He passed her, opened the door she had just entered and let in a waft of humid air. He exited and threw a grin over his shoulder before leaving.

"Anytime."

After he had closed the door, the rusty hinges whinging as the heavy wood pulled on the weak metal, Sakura began to walk slowly up the dirty stairs until she reached the clean, blue door that had the numbers '23' hanging limply from two shiny nails. She pushed the keys harshly into the lock and pushed open the door to the flat, entering and closing it behind her.

_Running away isn't going to stop it, _Sakura thought to herself, leaning heavily against the wall and allowing herself to relax. _Because no matter how far you go, no matter how much you evade, you can't escape from words._

* * *

"Yeah, so Sakura just went WHAM and her whole office was in pieces!" Naruto Uzumaki was waving his hands around animatedly, delving straight into the story he was telling. Neji Hyuuga supposed this was the knucklehead's idea of a comfort party for the hot-headed girl who was looking extremely uncomfortable and – strangely enough – increasingly angry. With his sharp, focused eyes, her emotions were as easy to read as the bar menu in front of him.

"And then ANBU goes and tries to give her a medic position after she'd resigned. What a load of..." Naruto continued his tirade and explanation as though Sakura wasn't sitting beside him, discharging a threatening aura. Lee, Tenten, Ino and Chouji were absorbed, listening as though it would be the last time they would hear such information. The less interested shinobi whom had been forced to attend due to their aggressive teammates, were sitting at a safe distance. Those 'less-interested' being Kakashi, Sasuke, Sai, himself and Shikamaru.

"Isn't it about time someone told Naruto to shut it? He's giving me a headache." Shikamaru clutched at his head and closed his eyes in a way that oozed suppressed irritation. Kakashi said nothing – too occupied with his book – as did Sasuke and Sai, who were too busy discussing their ANBU squad's recent achievements. Neji grasped hold of the opportunity to delve into a conversation with the Nara; someone whom he felt held the right level of intelligence to have a worthy discussion with.

"Uzumaki's charisma looks as though it will be his downfall."

Shikamaru squeezed open one shut eye to stare at the Hyuuga, a hand still pressed to his head and his arm sprawled across the table as he leant on it.

"Downfall?" He sat up fully, resting one cloth-laden arm onto the backrest of his chair to stare openly over his shoulder across the bar. Neji watched as the intelligent boy began to examine the atmosphere and seconds after, Shikamaru turned back around, one side of his lip quirked upwards into a smirk.

"I guess she really did breakdown. Naruto's in for a bumpy ride after she loses it again."

Unable to state his opinion on that comment, the Hyuuga moved his pearl, blank eyes to look at the broken girl again, only to have his eyes meet directly with her own. He held her gaze steadily, attempting to decipher what it was he could see in those emerald pools. She had heard Shikamaru, no doubt. It seemed as though her anger had fizzled away when she no longer focused on Naruto, but now her attention was on the table he was seated at instead.

"So, I threw this party..."

Naruto's voice was loud over the other chatter of the pub, but Neji's ears – almost as sharp as his eyes – caught the whisper of Sakura's name. Her big, bright eyes shifted ever-so-slightly to his left and for an unbeknownst reason, a shiver of something ran up his spine as Sasuke's husky, low voice uttered Sakura's name again, as though it was dirty. Neji's chilly eyes settled on the Uchiha and the pale boy sitting beside him.

"...can't keep a hold of her emotions...disgrace to shinobi...never get into ANBU...disappointment to those who looked up to her...only wants power..."

The sharp, short painful sound of a heavy chair being pushed back quickly and forcefully halted speaking for both Naruto and the Uchiha. A large, hefty crunch followed only seconds afterwards and Neji moved his head slowly and calmly towards the source of the noise, carefully examining the now-broken chair that was embedded slightly into the concrete wall. The pink-haired kunoichi was on her feet, her petite fists clenched and her glowing eyes, hidden by the shadow of her fringe.

Her mouth opened. No words came out.

She walked, rigid and tense, slowly towards the exit. Neji watched her from behind, his expression blank yet his mind whirring with infinite suggestions.

He had never been one to willingly show compassion or sympathy for others, yet something about the broken girl walking away tugged at his heart-strings, which were brittle and tight from having never been pulled before. She was being misunderstood. It was clear, just by looking at the kunoichi – with, or without such intense eyesight – that she was not power-hungry. She was angry.

His intelligent mind had managed to solve the girl in less than two minutes, yet he didn't feel at ease. What was she angry about? How was it she was so easily accepted into ANBU? What was wrong with being a medic?

He knew nothing about the Uzumaki's teammate. He knew nothing about the girl whom he had considered weak and unimportant. Yet, she was far from that.

Before he could stop himself, he was rising to his feet, a determined, confused frown etched into his smooth, pale forehead. But before he could stretch out a hand, before he could even take two footsteps, she was blocked from his view. His eyes moved in and out of focus as they concentrated on the new arrival.

It was the Inuzuka. One careless arm had been flung around the strong kunoichi's shoulder and he was now leading her safely from the bar.

Uneasily disheartened, Neji rigidly, slowly moved his body back into his seat again. Shikamaru cast him a strange, prying look, as did the Copy-nin, whose attention was only brought away from his departing student once Neji had seated himself again. He found Sai and Sasuke also looking at him blankly, yet it took one, swift examination of their eyes for him to know that they found his actions out-of-character.

"You was about to comfort her." Sai's robotic, monotone voice broke the hefty silence of the table and Neji found he was feeling – for the first time in his life – uncomfortable. He rose to his feet and nodded at the table in departure, before casually leaving the bar and gulping in the heavy, humid air once he had left.

Had he? Had he been about to comfort a kunoichi whom he barely knew?

As he headed for the Hyuuga compound, he thought, long and hard, about how he was never going to approach, nor look at the kunoichi again.

And how the next time Tenten and Lee attempted to drag him out, he would bluntly refuse.

* * *

"Sasuke, that was a little harsh, don't you think?" Kakashi voiced his opinion absentmindedly, his eye focused on the book that he settled on the table in a perched hand. He felt the Uchiha's eyes settle onto him, but refused to acknowledge them.

"You said to make her get mad."

Shikamaru sighed dramatically and scratched the back of his head, falling backwards against the backrest of his chair and resting his elbows on it casually.

"Man, Sasuke, who knew that even you're clueless when it comes to girls." He blew a tuft of hair that fell onto his forehead from his loose ponytail. Sasuke's forehead creased into a displeased frown and Kakashi placed his open book unwillingly onto the bar table, the spine stretching as it spread out like wings. He looked up at the brown, grimy ceiling.

"It was supposed to be a gentle push towards her Inner, not a hefty shove." Kakashi brought one eye back down to stare at his ex-student, who snorted lightly and folded his white-clothed arms over his chest. Silence stretched between everyone for a moment.

"It appears Neji Hyuuga may have disliked Sakura's reaction."

Everyone's head's turned and eyes rested on the pale, strange boy who was drawing circles with his gloved finger on the table, his black, lank hair framing his face. Sai looked up and fake smiled at them all.

Shikamaru's lips quirked and he stared confusedly at the ceiling, scratching the back of his head.

"Yeah, what was with that?"

Kakashi flipped over his book again, grasping it tightly in his hand before starting to skim read. He leant backwards in his bar chair and shoved one hand into his baggy, jonin pocket. Then, he smirked under his mask.

"Who knows...?"

* * *

"Come on, Sakura. Are you gonna let something so small get to you like this?" Kiba tugged at her neck, hoping that shaking her lightly would snap her out of her depressing daze. She lifted a hand and peeled Kiba's arm away from her.

"Yes." She said bluntly, Sasuke's words still echoing around her empty head. _Only wants power? Can't keep hold of her emotions?_ The first one would _never _apply to her. Did Sasuke even have the right to shove such an unwelcome bunch of words along with her name, when he himself had been the same? He'd wanted power, he'd come back, he got it.

But no, it wasn't okay for her to suddenly want a change in scenery. It was true – no one remembers what you do right; only what you do wrong.

She let out a deep sigh, her shoulders relaxing. Her anger had dissipated away, but she was still edgy and trembling as she reached the bottom of the staircase that led to her door, comfortable with Kiba's company beside her. Before she could hurry up the outside steps to her apartment, Kiba pulled her into a tight hug. Akamaru leaped and ran around them during the embrace.

"Get angry. You ain't gonna get nowhere if you keep all that rage inside." He released her and pressed two light hands onto her shoulders to turn her around, then pressed her back lightly so she began to ascend the stairs. She smiled over her shoulder, hoping that it would say a thousand words. Kiba understood and sent her a feral grin, before placed his hand heavily onto Akamaru's head and turning to head off down the dark street.

Once she was inside her small, one bedroom flat, she peeled off her shoes and slumped straight down onto the bed, lying still for a moment to allow her thoughts to process. She rolled over onto her back and stared up at her dark ceiling, the lamplight from outside creating obscure shadows.

_Get angry?_ She closed her eyes and pictured what she could achieve. Those lecherous perverts with broken noses and arms; people with favours to ask turned down with a sneer; insults thrown towards her for her _power-hungry _attitude batted away carelessly. But not before beating the person to a pulp.

Her eyes snapped open. Just thinking about it got her blood pumping and adrenaline sending dizzying jolts towards her brain. Yeah. She'd do that.

Sakura would no longer be a budded tree, but a blooming, vibrant cherry blossom.

* * *

**2 months later...**

"Come on, Sakura. Just one. Please – just one!"

She swung around and sent her evil, daggered eyes in Naruto's direction. He stopped in his tracks, his blue, shocking eyes widening in fear. He let out a nervous laugh and held out two arms in front of him, as though creating an invisible barrier between them.

"Sakura—"

"Not. Even. One." Her voice was low and feral, but she knew that it wouldn't stop Naruto – he had a nine-tailed fox inside him, what was an angry girl to him?

"You gave one to Kakashi-sensei. Why can't I have one too?"

She straightened up and let out a deep sigh, almost as though she was a mother about to lecture her child. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and sent a glare back at Naruto, not as threatening as before.

"Kakashi-sensei helped me with training. _You _just destroyed the training grounds while sparring with Sasuke. Do you think that deserves a reward?"

Naruto stuck out his bottom lip and shoved his hands into his pocket. Abashedly, he brushed circles with his foot on the sandy ground beneath him, his head sunk low.

"I guess not."

She smiled humourlessly and stalked forwards, away from Naruto who had obviously decided to stop following her. So he wasn't _that _desperate to try one of her muffins.

Sakura ventured into the hospital, dragging her sweaty palms down her usual, deep red outfit before picking up her black clipboard. A small, tepid nurse hurried to her side, her tiny feet dragging across the floor.

"Um, there's a Genin in Ward 5, broken several bones during a training game; a punctured lung in Ward 2 and a-also, in Ward 6, an ANBU Captain has refused to let anyone heal him but you."

Sakura nodded, taking in only the important pieces of information that the stuttering nurse would give her. Thinking that she was finished, said nurse began to walk away.

"Wait." Sakura demanded, her eyes finally settling on the back of the nurses head. She watched as she froze rigidly and began to tremble in what seemed like fear.

Great. Another one who seemed intimidated by Sakura's power.

Ignoring this, Sakura's brow creased and her eyes met the nurses after the tiny woman turned her head slowly over her shoulder.

"Repeat what you just said." Sakura ordered, not noticing how she was frightening the nurse.

The woman's lip was quivering now and she seemed to take a large gulp before repeating herself to Sakura.

"Genin in Ward 5—"

"Yeah, I heard that. The last part."

"A-ANBU Captain in Ward 6 requesting t-that only y-y-you will heal him..."

Sakura's eyebrows rose into her pink, bright hair and she stood for a moment, processing that information. She nodded at the nurse, who took this as an indication to scurry away like a frightened little mouse.

_A request that only she heal him?_

Oh, so it was one of _those _patients again. But an ANBU Captain requesting something like that?

Sighing, Sakura scribbled something down onto her clipboard and tucked it under her arm before strolling down the bright white halls of the hospital.

_Well, everyone has their own little secrets I suppose..._

* * *

"She's certainly changed, hasn't she?" Kakashi laid his head in his hands and leant back on the sharp, hot tiles of the rooftop. Sasuke looked down at him, one knee raised with a careless arm resting atop it and his other leg stretched in front of him. His weight was being held up with his other pale hand, which laid flat on the burgundy tiles behind him.

"She's stronger than before," Sasuke's cool, even voice was quiet, but Kakashi heard it clearly. Sai – who was sitting the other side of Kakashi – sent a large stroke of paint down his drawing pad and looked up at the cloudy sky.

"Sakura Haruno is a rare specimen indeed," his robotic voice in comparison to Sasuke's velvety voice was chilly and cold. Kakashi's half-lidded eyes shut momentarily.

He wasn't about to tell Sasuke or Naruto, but Sakura was no longer separated from them. She'd clambered over the wall of impossible power that had once separated her from the two boys, soared through the sky and now she was happily seated between the two.

He held back a grimace when memories of a sparring match gone wrong had proved almost fatal for him. It had taken one punch to almost completely break him, but within seconds he was healed up again, _her _chakra coursing through his body like some delicious disease.

Uncaring, he lifted a finger up and tugged down his mask so the cool, summer air could be inhaled through his slightly-parted lips. A trickle of sweat travelled from his forehead, down to his ear.

Yes. She'd certainly changed.

* * *

Sakura flipped through the multiple files that were stuck on her clipboard as she stormed down the hall. She knew what room her ANBU Captain stalker was occupying it and in just a few seconds, she'd reach it. However, it seemed the file had disappeared. Letting out a growl of frustration under her breath, she began to flick through the files again, freeing one hand to enter the room and walked in, kicking the door shut behind her.

"Hello, I'll be your medic for today. I'd introduce myself but it seems like..." Her voice faded off when she found the ANBU's file and noticed a very familiar name was imprinted clearly on the thick, matte paper. Her head darted upwards fast, hoping to confirm it. She swallowed, heat suddenly flushing to her face for a reason she couldn't understand.

"N-Neji..." Perhaps she thought that saying his name would knock her out of a silly daydream and it'd turn out to be someone different. But it wasn't. Neji had requested for her?

Neji's brown locks were tied behind his back as usual and his fitted, gray ANBU uniform was still on. One pale hand was pressed to his ribcage and a damp, sheen of sweat covered his face. His usually alive eyes were closed, but it was clear he was conscious as his brow flickered into a frown occasionally, meaning he was in extreme discomfort.

Sakura snapped herself out of her ridiculous haze, walking forwards quickly and dumping her clipboard onto the end of his bed, the pen clanging loudly against it. Her uneasy hand came up to press against his damp forehead and she sucked in a worried breath after noticing that he was burning up.

His injury certainly wasn't life-threatening, but it was enough to cause anyone severe pain. She lifted his heavy hand away from the wound, frowning hard through the slash in the cloth at what seemed to be a poisoned kunai wound. A curse escaped through her usually-pure lips.

"Haruno, that kind of language isn't appropriate."

She flinched a little, even though it shouldn't have come to a surprise that he could hear her. Her hands came up to firmly tear away his tattered uniform, revealing pale, soft skin and the bloody, poisoned wound. Her right hand began to fill with a familiar, green chilly chakra and she shoved herself onto the bed with her left, placing it over Neji's outstretched legs. Her spidery fingers twitched when they met his skin and unsure emerald eyes went up to examine the Hyuuga's face.

She didn't even know him well enough to have him personally request for her. They hadn't even spoken during the Chuunin exams. If anything, she still held a very small grudge against him for causing Naruto anger and sadness, although that was just a very small flicker of hatred in her mind.

As his white eyes slowly opened, she kept her emerald eyes steadily on his. There was a strange, tense-yet-comfortable silence in the ward for a moment as they just stared, both asking unheard questions.

_He does have pretty eyes, though, _Sakura couldn't help but allow that thought to escape, partially mesmerised by the glittering, bright eyes that were meeting her own evenly.

"You requested me. You know it's only the creeps who do that, right?" Her voice was quiet and slightly hoarse, as though she hadn't used it for a long time. Her eyes watched for any obvious reactions to the question that may have given her an answer, but there was nothing. Not a flinch, grimace, a swallow. It was like staring at a blank page.

There was a few seconds silence, but then she saw it - one, tiny quirk at the side of his lip. It was the slightest movement, yet it had the same impact as a full-blown smirk would have had. It was only when Neji began to speak that Sakura found she was still staring at his lips.

"Are you implying I am a 'creep'?"

A gentle, confused frown fell on her forehead and she opened her rosy lips to reply, only to have the answer stuck in her throat. Was she angry at this person she had hardly known for suddenly springing on her like this and making her confused? Or was she just taking in her stride?

"I'm saying it's unexpected; that's all." She shuffled uncomfortably on the scratchy bed, her short red skirt clashing with the blue of the hospital blanket. Leaning slightly to the right, she lifted her chakra-filled hand a little to examine the wound. All that remained was a thin, pale line that was barely visible on Neji's smooth, flawless abdomen.

"Okay, it's done, let me just—" Sakura's sentence was interrupted when she attempted to remove her hand from his side, only to have a warm hand curl around her wrist and place it right back onto it. Another hand came round to tightly grasp her waist at lightning speed, causing her to tumble on top of Neji.

Anger hit her like a wall. Her pink locks slashed at her face when she lifted her head sharply, ready to hit the Hyuuga into the next day.

"WHAT..." She stopped. Their faces were barely inches apart. Not even inches – just one slip up and they'd both be touching each other in the most awkward way possible. Sakura could look nowhere else except at the white eyes that were staring blankly back at her. The same eyes that had stared at her across the bar two months ago, easily reading her emotions.

What would he see this time? Anger? Irritation?

Embarrassment?

"It appears you are no longer the mindless drone you were when I left. I assume, by returning to the hospital, you have realised your fate as a medic is inevitable?" Sakura was mildly surprised, both at what he had said and that he released her, obviously having no intention in the first place to try and...

Try and _what_, exactly?

Straightening up, she tucked one loose strand of hair behind her ear and cleared her throat. A forced frown etched into her forehead and she looked at him cautiously through her narrowed eyes.

"Why is it any of your business about what I do? You don't even know me..." the accusation in her tone was weak and Sakura knew Neji could sense it. She also knew that he _did _know her. The Byakugan was not only used to find enemies and he had probably figured her out in mere minutes. His silence had obviously given her time to rethink her reply. She clenched her teeth determinedly.

"I belong in the hospital because I want people to benefit from me being here. It's not fate tying me to this place," she could hardly believe she was almost enticing Neji into a conversation with her, on a hospital bed. The Hyuuga's short, little smirk twitched around his lips again and he blinked almost agonisingly slowly, exaggerating the beauty of his eyes. He leant forwards slightly, still at a safe distance from her yet it felt to Sakura as though he had just invaded her personal space. His face was blank and searching.

"Sakura Haruno... It seems I will never be able figure you out."

A wave of completely, unexpected, uncomfortable heat hit her hard in the stomach, before rising through her entire body and causing a blush to appear on her face, full-force. It was only for a split second, but Sakura was certain she had seen a sudden flash of surprise in his face. Just the slight widening of his eyes, the slow parting of his lips...

"SAKURA!" The door to the ward burst open, but Sakura didn't tear her eyes away from the Hyuuga in front of her, even when he had broken her gaze to stare at their intruder. Her mind had combusted, like what would happen if her future self went back in time to see her present self.

"Sakura?" As her mind began to frazzle out, leaving behind a pile of mush, she came back to the real world. Kiba was standing at the entrance of the ward, his arms folded and Akamaru sitting happily at his feet. She blinked a few times, shook her head lightly and then allowed energy to fill back her limp body. Kiba ran forwards and grasped her wrist, energetically dragging her out of the room with Akamaru bouncing behind. Sakura had trouble comprehending where he was dragging her, what he was saying to her and why she was with him until they were outside of the hospital.

"Me and Akamaru thought you'd want company for lunch," he lifted up a hand holding a picnic basket and sent her his grin, his pointy teeth lightly piercing his lips. Sakura sent him a weak smile and nodded, her pink hair bouncing around her face when she did it over-enthusiastically. Kiba didn't notice anything wrong with his friend and flicked his head into the direction they were about to walk, resting a hand on Sakura's back to lead her.

Her wide, still-shocked emerald eyes didn't focus on anything. They were glazed over, too focused on throwing flashbacks violently at Sakura.

_White eyes, warm hands, parting lips..._

She raised a hand and rubbed it along her forehead in confusion, hoping that it would ease away both the flashbacks and her trailing thoughts. The summery breeze brushed through her hair, but all it was to her now was an irritation. Neji's slight smirk appeared in front of her eyes as vivid as a picture frame in front of her.

_What the hell had happened?_

* * *

Neji Hyuuga leant backwards on the creaky hospital bed, fully aware that he was now free to go, yet he was unable to get his mind straight enough to leave.

He had told himself he wouldn't even look at the kunoichi again – not after the conflicting emotions he had felt last time. But after coming back, injured, from his two month mission, he had needed to see. He had needed to see if she was still the same, misunderstood girl she had been before he left. But alas, she wasn't.

That should have been enough. He should have stopped after knowing that she was no longer like him – _misunderstood. _ His hands had moved on their own once they had pulled her closer to him. Having the kunoichi so close was like wrapping himself in a warm blanket on a cold day and his body had reacted before his rational mind could've... or rather, _irrational._

It wasn't just her presence, smell, or comfortable appearance that had seemed to confuse him. It was the moment of silence, in which she had read him like an open book. She knew that he could examine and sum up a person in the blink of an eye and easily corrected her sentence. No one had ever realised it before.

That had compelled him to – for the first time in his life – say what he was thinking. That he could never figure her out. Was that a Hyuuga thing to do? It certainly wasn't. A Hyuuga was always composed, always kept their opinions to themselves and let fate choose their thoughts.

Neji swung his legs off of the bed, wincing very slightly when his newly healed wound stretched. His heavy ANBU boots treaded across the tiled floor slowly as he headed out of the ward, his mind running amok with thoughts that he had previously locked away. To any passerby who sent him nothing more than a swift glance, they would see the passive, normal Neji that oozed superiority, power and strength.

Sakura's surprising, crimson blush that had stretched across her nose came back into his memory, hitting him hard. His walking slowed, yet he continued.

If any of those passerby's were to examine his face, look hard enough or have his eyes meet theirs, they would be able to see across his quaint, dainty little nose, a light dusting of pink.

* * *

**A week later...**

"Sakura, we're gonna be late!" Kiba's loud voice echoed around her tiny apartment and she winced, hurriedly pulling on her familiar red shorts and tall, black boots. Half-walking and half-stumbling towards her bedroom door whilst pulling on her other boot, she threw herself out into the living room, successfully levering her final shoe onto her foot. After she had emerged, Kiba stared at her incredulously.

"You're going to the party in _that?"_

Sakura looked down at herself, her pink hair falling over her face. Her red uniform had never failed to provide comfort and efficiency before, so she didn't appear to understand what it was Kiba was trying to say. She raised her head again, raking her hands through her tangled hair.

"Yeah?" She let out breathlessly, grasping a coat from a broken hanger and leaving before Kiba could even squeeze in another word of protest. He let out a growl of defeat after she gestured for him to exit her tiny apartment so she could lock the door behind them. The cool, summery air felt refreshing on her skin and after wrestling with the dodgy lock, she and Kiba hastily headed towards the decorated bar that had been temporarily transformed into a party hall for Hinata's sake.

"Hey, Sakura, I was expecting a pretty woman to be coming with me tonight, not you... like this." Sakura slapped Kiba around the head, ignoring his yelp that Akamaru echoed slowly afterwards. She sent him a disapproving stare and continued to plod down the eerie, dark street. Night time was beautiful in Konoha – all fresh wind, dazzling lights and silence. It always sent a small rush of adrenaline through Sakura's blood, walking at night.

"Whatever. You could have at least put on make-up or something," he muttered under his breath, rubbing the back of his head and sending a sly smile in her direction. As they approached the bar – not very far from her house, in shinobi time – Kiba held open the wooden door for her, letting out a smell that Sakura had always associated with the familiar, dusty bar. A heavy ache filled her chest.

_The last time I was here... _Glittery, white eyes assaulted her vision as vivid as they would have been if they were right in front of her face.

"Ladies first," Kiba flicked his head towards the door he was holding open, gesturing for her to step inside. Letting out a deep breath she hadn't realised she was holding, she took a few edgy steps forwards, her heavy boots thumping in the silence. Kiba patted her twice on the back as she walked past, as though sensing the suppressed emotion Sakura was feeling.

Her sensitive ears began to throb when she ventured into the bar. The loud music caused her eardrums to protest violently, but she ignored it and headed over to Hinata, who was surrounded by a familiar crowd of shinobi. With a strange, sunken relief, she saw that the Hyuuga was missing – the other one. Something told her that if he had been there, his presence would have been disconcerting.

The murky bar seemed to engulf Sakura into a solemn atmosphere, although looking around she noticed that everyone seemed to be thriving in a different atmosphere.

"S-Sakura?" Hinata's shy, timid voice knocked the pink-haired kunoichi out of the strange daydream she had thrown herself into. Five heads followed Hinata's line of gaze and snapped immediately to Sakura. She smiled at them forcefully and thrust an arm forward towards Hinata, a pink envelope grasped tightly in her hand. The surrounding shinobi immediately went back to their conversations, as though handing over the envelope had broken the tension.

"Wow, forehead. You really don't know how to party." Ino, one of the shinobi, broke out of conversation with Chouji after seeing Sakura's outfit. She flicked one long strange of blonde hair over her shoulder.

A crease formed on Sakura's slightly perspiring brow and she glared lightly at the bleach blonde, who was dressed in a tight, purple halter-neck dress.

"Shut it, Ino-pig."

Sakura's attention swiftly returned to the envelope she had been grasping when it was taken from her outstretched hand. Hinata smiled at Sakura timidly, clutching the paper to her chest with two, pale hands.

"Thank you, Sakura." Sakura's sensitive ears could pick out Hinata's voice over the music that was still piercing Sakura's eardrums like a knife.

She needed to get out.

Loud areas always seemed to provoke her temper in numerous ways and she didn't feel like crashing Hinata's party just because she'd gotten a little agitated. She looked around the crowded bar, spotting a few familiar faces but not hesitating to even think to greet them. She did notice, with peaked curiosity, that Kakashi, Sai and Sasuke seemed to be missing. Perhaps they had decided not to attend – it was a party after all.

Urging her tired feet to move, Sakura started to head towards a hidden door that led to an alcove of quiet – a place she had used numerous times before. She saw Kiba in the distance, surrounded by female civilians and she shook her head, her pink locks lightly tapping her face.

"Hey, Sakura!" Her spine stiffened with irritation as a recognizable, loud voice yelled at her over the pounding music. She turned slowly, greeted with creased eyes and a cheeky grin. Naruto placed two hands behind his head.

Running her gaze quickly down his outfit, she noticed even he had dressed for the party.

"Hey, Naruto." She spoke in a bored, impatient tone, but he didn't notice. One bright blue eye opened and the grin on the fox's face faltered.

"Oh, you too?"

Sakura tilted her head sideways in confusion, an enquiry to his words not needed as Naruto continued.

"You're not the only one who didn't dress up. Come on, Sakura. Couldn't you have put at least a dress on—"

"Who else didn't dress up?" Sakura's wide green eyes rapidly searched the contents of the bar, seeing everyone in smart-casual. Naruto blinked and brought his arms back down to his side, shoving them into the pockets of his black, suit trousers. His bottom lip came out and he frowned.

"That stupid Hyuuga prick. He didn't even wear a suit to his own cousin's party, man, what a..." The blonde trailed off, noticing with a confused expression that Sakura's impatient, annoyed expression had fallen into one of nervousness. She swallowed, her eyes shiftily examining the room.

Now she definitely needed to get out.

"Hey, Sakura—"

"Sorry Naruto, I have to go." She turned away from him, giving him a good view of her back, before storming into the nearest alcove that she could. She pushed on the handle of the door and threw herself inside, slamming it shut behind her. For a few minutes, she rested her back against the rough wood.

"Well, well, Sakura. Fancy seeing you here."

Immediately, green eyes lit up the room as she snapped them open. They collided with Kakashi's single, grey orb and then hurriedly began to scan the company he had. They examined Sai and his open-buttoned shirt; they ran over Sasuke and his smart, black suit; they observed Shikamaru and his long-sleeved black shirt; they studied Kakashi again, examining his lack of Jonin jacket; and finally, they rested onto the one person she hadn't wanted to encounter again.

Neji.

Fighting heat that immediately rushed to her face, she stood up straight from the door, quickly throwing her gaze over everyone else around the table again. She noticed that the alcove was nothing more than a table with six chairs surrounding it.

"Care to join us?" Sai asked her with strange politeness. As her eyes rested on the chair beside Neji, she considered three options. One; leave the alcove and venture out into the loud music. Two; flee from the party altogether and apologise for her rudeness to Hinata later. Or three; stay. Battle with the strange emotions the Hyuuga was rising within her and conquer them once and for all.

Well, she'd made up her mind.

"No, it's fine, I'll just be leaving—" She turned, resting her slightly trembling hand on the door handle. A hand wrapped itself around her wrist. Turning slowly, she observed the owner of it.

Shikamaru was tilted backwards on his chair, looking at her upside down. His lips flicked upwards at the side, giving Sakura a peculiar view of his face.

"Come on, Sakura, what harm could it do?"

Dampening her dry lips with a quick flick of her tongue, her eyes met everyone else's but the Hyuuga's. Unable to resist Shikamaru's reluctant persuasion, she pulled out a chair beside Neji – ignoring the pearly white eyes that seemed fixed on the side of her face – and casually seated herself into it.

Sasuke and Sai returned to their conversation, seemingly ignoring her presence. Kakashi returned to reading, one arm lying casually against the back of his chair and the other resting on the table, his book grasped in his hand. Shikamaru was now occupied with a cat's cradle, yet his dark eyes flickered over to her occasionally and then to her right. Where Neji was seated.

Thankful for the peace of the alcove - yet cursing herself for the unbearable tension that she believed was held between her and the Hyuuga - she let out a simple sigh and clenched her teeth.

She wasn't going to let silly emotions lose her cool. She wouldn't let them.

* * *

Shikamaru could feel it, yet wondered if the others could. It was almost stifling.

Between the Hyuuga and the fiery kunoichi beside him, a sexual tension so strong it was almost overwhelming him. Was it sexual? He was having trouble deciphering it, but he felt that it wasn't the kind of tension of hatred he would feel when enemies collided with each other. It was definitely one that involved attraction of some sort. Letting out a deep sigh and quirking his lips into an awkward grimace, he fingered his cat's cradle.

_Being attracted to someone would be such a drag..._

* * *

Neji was good at hiding unwanted emotions externally, but internally, it was not so easy. Several feelings colliding, merging, breaking at once meant it was that much more difficult to hold up his defensive shield. It hadn't helped when the kunoichi had suddenly thrust herself into the room and he was hit with the sudden realisation that he was not the only one who had found it worthless to dress up.

She was on the same wavelength as him.

Her powerful, green eyes had settled on him only once and had since then looked at everything but him. Clearly, his movements from the time in the hospital had overstepped boundaries that both he and Sakura had placed.

Now, with nothing to keep him occupied, he and the kunoichi were left to remain, sitting in silence, whilst the others played. Only a light, thumping of music was there to chip the tension that was in the air between them. He didn't know what atmosphere it was that had settled the moment she had entered, but his body was responding to her presence, warming up and getting fidgety. Uncomfortably, he leant forwards on the table to wrap his hands around each other, his white eyes never leaving Sakura's face. There was something about it that made him want to continue to watch – to see what other expressions and actions her face could perform.

He rubbed his knees together, hoping to get rid of some of the strain that was held between his legs, when his clothed knee brushed against hers. A crippling, unnerving shot of heat spread up at the point of contact and he barely managed to conceal his surprise. She had stiffened beside him, her body now completely rigid.

After seeing her face contort into an expression of both shock and nervousness, his curiosity peaked. His eyes could see everything, yet the emotions she was showing across her face didn't make sense. As soon as they had appeared, however, they were gone, placed behind a mask of passiveness. So she had learnt to hide them too.

Unable to resist – as though craving for one more piece of that adrenaline – Neji placed his knee against hers, brushing it upwards against her in one, long, slow caress. Her mouth fell open and she leant forwards towards the table a little, allowing her bright, fiery green eyes to finally connect with his. He feigned indifference and stared equally back, twiddling his thumbs together on the table. The pink-haired woman's mouth firmly shut and her cheekbone throbbed violently.

"What?" She hissed to him, casting a cautious glance around the table in case the other shinobi had noticed her harsh spit at the Hyuuga. If they had, they weren't showing it.

Neji leant backwards and folded his arms across his white-robed chest and his eyes unwaveringly kept her gaze.

"I don't remember saying your name, Sakura." His cool, edgy voice was the perfect tone and he noticed with relish that she was holding back some sort of irritation.

He was really enjoying himself.

* * *

Gritting her teeth with suppressed anger, Sakura noticed that now, the tension had increased tenfold. He was an enigma – constantly assaulting her senses when the distance between them was just arms length. His scent, the sound his light breathing and his intense gaze that she glanced at cautiously through the corner of her eye... all of it was turning her into a heated pile of mess. Unable to take it anymore, she searched the room for a distraction. The shinobi surrounded her seemed occupied and with annoyance, she gave up.

Perhaps leaving would be the better option.

She stood, immediately attracting the attention of everyone seated around the dirty bar table. Swallowing, she frowned at them all, leaving her most deadliest glare for Neji. He stared coolly back.

"I'm leaving," she hissed through her teeth, turning and storming out of the room without hesitating when Shikamaru called her name. When she closed the door behind her, the loud music hit her full force again, like a harsh slap around the face. Ignoring it, she stormed from the party, pushing through the waves of shinobi, dancing and grinding against each other. Sakura's nose wrinkled in disgust, wondering how it was such grotesque people had actually become acquainted with the innocent Hinata.

Finally, Sakura threw herself outside of the party and sucked in fresh oxygen, her shoulders collapsing in ease as the stress fell out of them. She hated that she had been so easy drawn in by Neji – he was nothing more than a stranger and yet he seemed to thrive on irritating her. Squashing down frustrated emotions that caused her gut to ache, Sakura started to head down the cobblestone street, heading towards her house.

But she stopped, her shoulders tensing up just as they had when she had been inside. The scent, that familiar light breathing...

Her nimble footsteps patted along the ground as she increased her speed, taking a quick detour down an alleyway that led away from her destination. Then, she swung around quickly, her fist clenched tightly.

A hot hand grasped her wrist, not allowing her fist to make contact. The fingers tightened around it, clenching the skin.

"I don't appreciate your violence toward me." Neji Hyuuga took his pearly eyes away from the wrist he was grasping and he stared at Sakura, whose eyes were fiery. A wry smile spread over her lips and she calmly tore her hand away, replacing it back at her side. She said nothing to him, just kept her sardonic smile firmly on her face.

She'd known he'd been following her. Her acute sense of smell - or rather, all of her incredible senses in general - had picked up his presence. Neji was steadily keeping her gaze, his face completely void with the exception of a small, light frown. Sakura broke eye contact, settling on staring at a point just above his head instead.

"Why were you following me?" Her question didn't seem to faze the Hyuuga in the slightest and he regarded her coolly. She forced herself to meet his gaze again when he began to fold his arms across his chest. She held back her small recoil of surprise when a small, humourless smirk appeared on his face.

"I don't know."

There was silence for a moment, as though Sakura was trying to figure out whether what she had heard was correct. She swallowed saliva that gathered in her mouth and straightened up.

"You don't know?" Her voice came out quiet and tense, as though she was controlling a raging anger that wasn't there. Neji took a step towards her, causing her to stumble backwards slightly. Her back came into contact with the gristly brick wall behind her and her hands pressed into the rough material. The Hyuuga – while keeping his face completely passive – stepped closer. And closer.

He was inches away from her.

"I feel as though you are my responsibility." His voice was quiet, mysterious, calm, collected. Frankly, it messed Sakura up. Her words dissipated into nothing but air when she opened her mouth and her sturdy legs loosened. His warm, velvety breath had brushed over her face through the chilly air.

After a minute, Sakura finally comprehended what he had said. _His responsibility? She was... A responsibility?_

Hastily, she squeezed herself out from the sandwich Neji and the wall had placed her in and she gritted her teeth in a furious anger. Her pretty face distorted into one of displeasure. Keeping her back to him, she hissed through her teeth.

"I don't need to be a responsibility, thanks." Her tone was tense and this time, held the raging anger that had not been apparent before.

Her day, so far, had been _horrible. _The fact that the Hyuuga – who seemed to have the impression that he was responsible for her – kept on treading tiny light footsteps in her mind, slowly teasing her thoughts into his directions, just seemed to make it worse.

"Have a nice evening." Her feet dragged as she attempted to walk away. Why wouldn't they lift from the ground? The ground which now appeared to have blurred in front of her aching eyes. Why couldn't she grasp hold of that anger she had felt before? Why – instead of a raging fire – did she now feel completely empty?

Her right foot stopped, mid-step, as a strange sensation overcame her eyes. It was as though something had lightly tugged on her bottom eyelids, and suddenly, the blur had gone.

She was crying.

Before she could even understand, ask herself questions, attempt to figure out the emotion she was feeling, two warm hands grasped her upper arms firmly and twirled her around, forcing her back to come into contact with the familiar rough, brick wall.

Heavy warmth enveloped her front and a single, bright, lamp behind the figure in front of her shadowed the face. Her eyes widened, her mouth fell open, her hair stuck out in strands where the wind had swept it during her rough tug. Her heart thumped once loudly against her chest, bringing back the life that had momentarily disappeared only seconds ago.

His scent always overpowered her.

"Fate, Sakura. I believe that this connection I can't describe is Fate, pulling us together." Sakura acknowledged Neji's words, but her mind and eyes were firmly focusing on his hand that was on the right side of her head. Neji moved closer, resting his forearm against the harsh brick above her head. The light reflected off of the pale skin of his face, illuminating it in the gloomy darkness of the alleyway.

She shouldn't have done it. Doing so would have so many consequences – it would have led to so many problems. But her eyes were being weighed down and before she knew it, they were centred, unwaveringly, on Neji Hyuuga's lips.

Parted, silky, glistening, open-mouthed, panting lips.

It was too much. She needed to get out. If being in that tiny alcove with the Hyuuga was bad – this was catastrophic.

* * *

It was Fate. It was Fate clearly connecting the two of them. What business they had was unknown to Neji, but there was no other explanation for why there could have been such a strong connection to the two. They'd been touched by the hand of Fate and were being pushed callously toward each other.

This urge to get close, to touch, to feel, to speak, to see... it was overwhelming him.

And he'd gone overboard. Having her body pressed so perfectly against his, to have her wide, vulnerable gaze piercing the darkness, to see that same gaze move slowly, unwillingly down to his lips...

It was like a magnet. Two pieces of a jigsaw puzzle coming perfectly together. Parallel lines crossing. Shoe laces being tied perfectly.

Their lips edged closer and closer, their mouths opened, twitching slightly as though attempting to kiss the air they breathed, Neji's hand clenched against the wall and his slightly perspiring brow creased. His breathing came out in short, fast pants and his eyes clenched shut as frustratingly slow, their lips barely, faintly brushed.

A short, quick gasp came from Sakura.

That was it.

Taking his arm away from the wall, he cupped her face hard with his trembling hands and in one swift motion, he captured her shaking lips with his own. Whether it was Fate or not that had so unfairly tied their hearts together, Neji didn't care.

What mattered now was that Sakura's tight, firm hands were grasping the front of his white robe outfit and he was being pulled harder to her body, her soft lips pressing more into his. He was unable to control his heartbeats. They were erratic and loud, each one filled with a pulse of divine pleasure that spread throughout his entire body.

He subconsciously moved his hands away from Sakura's face, dragging them down her smooth shoulders, down her crimson, tight top before finally settling on her waist. He gave her hips a sharp tug towards his, twisting his head to the side.

Should he do it? Would she like it?

Was Neji Hyuuga – upright, proud, genius Neji Hyuuga – having such thoughts?

Yes. And he loved it.

* * *

Sakura was hot. Very, very, very hot.

It was no longer a simple, tender kiss that was nothing but an exploration. Now, there were hands clawing at each other, lips not wanting to part, heat being shared.

She was sharing a passionate kiss with Neji Hyuuga.

She moved her lips along his once again in a smooth, languid motion, drawing out the shoot of desire that shocked her spine and caused her feet and stomach to tingle. It was too much.

She felt his hands leave her hips and entangle in her windswept pink locks, tilting her head upwards so their mouths could meld together easier. Just as she was about to draw out the kiss once again, she felt something sweep along her bottom lip.

For the first time since they had first made contact with each other, Sakura drew apart, their lips still close enough to touch yet not firmly pressed to each other. Curiously, her half-lidded eyes waited for the same contact.

It happened again, this time sending a scorching wave of lust through her, almost causing her legs to buckle. It was his tongue. Opening her mouth, she allowed it to slip inside.

No. No, no, no. She'd lost it now – all sense of rationalism was gone the second he darted his tongue out to stroke hers, then immediately retreat back into his own mouth before repeating the action.

Letting out a throaty, lust-filled moan, she wrapped her arms around him and dug her hands tightly into his back. In a stumbling mess, Neji pushed her harder against the wall, his hot hands hoisting her thighs up trap his waist in between them.

At that precise moment, the kiss halted. They both drew apart, panting heavily, appearances dishevelled and lips plump and kissed. There was no denying that - in their current position - the sweaty, moist smell of desire was obvious. The scent was not the only issue - they could _feel _the evidence of attraction.

Neji, despite their actions having stopped, pressed himself more against Sakura, watching as her face turned into one of desperation as their aroused body parts pushed together. Her hands were on his shoulders now, the slender fingers occasionally tightening their grip.

While Sakura's eyes were half-shut with passion, Neji's were focused on her the whole time.

He'd never had an interaction with a woman before – simply because he had not found one worthy enough to have his company. Yet here he was, against an alleyway wall, with a girl whom he knew next to nothing about.

Sakura let out one, small mewl in the back of her throat and Neji clenched his teeth, leaning forwards so he could press his nose to the side of her damp neck and inhale her strong, enticing aroma.

He was a man of self-control and with this kunoichi, he had none. None at all.

Unable to resist, his tongue flicked out and licked his lips, brushing against Sakura's neck in the process. Her body tensed, as though she had struggled to hold back something.

Neji tightened the grip on her thighs, widening them and pressing himself more into her core. A loud, whispered gasp came out of Sakura with no restraint, her hands digging hard into his shoulders. Too caught up in lust to notice this, Neji's brow creased as her reaction sent an unbearable amount of pleasure through his pulsing blood. He found his lips pressing themselves against Sakura's neck, biting and sucking lightly at a part of her skin, marring the smoothness.

Sakura was almost flailing, grinding her hips against his and sending painful waves of bliss into his body, blurring his mind and halting his actions. He moved back so his mouth was free, but kept his forehead pressed against the pink-haired woman's neck. His face contorted into one of painful desire.

"Sakura..." The first breathless word spoken since their encounter and it shocked them both. It was filled with pure pleasure, lust, frustration and... what was it? There was something else there. Something neither of them could quite figure out.

Sakura – with a large amount of willpower – took the advantage of Neji's loose hold on her thighs and settled herself back onto the floor. Neji pulled back, deciding that their little encounter had been taken far enough. As white eyes clashed with green, the moon finally emerged from behind a cloud, seemingly causing the alleyway which they were in to lighten.

Sakura didn't know how long they stared at each other. Neji didn't know either.

She only knew, that when both had finally ventured down opposite ends of the alleyway, that whatever had happened in that alleyway was never, ever going to be repeated to another soul.

* * *

"So, did you hear?"

"Hm, hear what?"

"Hyuuga and Haruno in an alleyway doing... _you know."_

"No way. You're kidding."

"No lie. Ino's gang saw when they were leaving Hinata's party."

"Wow, at least someone's getting a little action."

"Yeah, I know. Listen, you can't spread this though, okay? I was supposed to keep it on the low."

"Sure, I'm great at keeping secrets. You can count on me."

* * *

"Neji Hyuuga and Sakura Haruno?"

"Together?"

"In an _alleyway._"

"Apparently, she's after his money and clan."

"...using him to get powerful children..."

"You know Sakura? That unstable one..."

"Poor Hyuuga, being seduced must be horrible..."

"Sleeping with Neji to get close to his uncle?"

"Yeah, his uncle has the power to put people on the family registry without marriage..."

"...wants to enter the Hyuuga clan without marriage..."

"...money, money, money..."

"...so sad..."

"...used to be such a nice girl..."

"...poor Neji..."

* * *

_A/N: It'd be nice if anyone told me about typos or holes in the story. I'm still a little rusty at this, since it's been a while. I appreciate all constructive criticism._


	2. Ve

_A/N: So here it is. And yes, I did forget that I was supposed to upload a second chapter. -.- _

* * *

_**Two weeks later...**_

Was she really as bad as everyone thought her to be?

Was that how the world was?

If an angel committed a sin once, they were thought to commit a sin a thousand times. If a devil performed a good deed once, would that mean that they would continue to perform a thousand good deeds?

Sakura ignored the accusing glares and whispers that followed her as she stepped gingerly into the Hyuuga compound, her eyes scanning the surroundings quickly. White eyes were settled on her as she strolled between the houses, standing out with her pink hair and outfit amongst the chocolate brown hair and white eyes that encircled her.

She located the large house that belonged to Neji's uncle – the place which she had come to understand was where the Hyuuga was staying. Slowly, she approached the door, raising a fist to knock.

But she hesitated. Her nose twitched, her ears pricked up. She stepped backwards off of the step that led to the door, then her eyes swung to her right. Hurriedly, she ran away from the front door and leaped up onto the large, white stone wall that surrounded the Hyuuga gardens, landing skilfully on one knee. There - sparring with himself in the garden - was the very person she was looking for.

Her heart leaped into her throat, her legs became uneasy and her stomach fluttered horribly. Pushing down her emotions, just as she had trained, she penetrated the barrier that the Hyuuga's had placed on the garden with her precise chakra scalpel.

Her feet patted softly onto the long blades of grass and a sick pleasure ran down her spine when she found Neji halted his movements the moment she touched the ground, his back straightening up.

"It's not nice to enter a house uninvited." Neji's head turned sideways, so Sakura could see his sharp cheekbones and small nose over his shoulder. Sakura said nothing. Instead, she settled herself comfortably on the soft, green carpet of grass beneath her and sighed when her bare legs came into contact with the damp ground.

"What are you doing here?" Neji's passive, empty voice reached her ears. Sakura ignored him and tilted her head back, closing her eyes. It was such a nice, cool afternoon.

A short moments silence followed. Sakura let out another long, relaxed sigh, feeling the weight of her shoulders leave. Inside the garden, she felt shut off from the rest of the village. In her own flat, it always felt as though people were walking past, muttering angrily at the building. Kiba's flat had also become a no-go zone, as going there would only raise speculation. She didn't want to be accused of sleeping with two men.

"It appears you are – once again – the word of the village."

Sakura's eyes snapped open and immediately, a ton of weight fell back on her shoulders. She was sure that they had visibly slumped. She moved her head down and settled her eyes on the straight, stiff Hyuuga in front of her.

He had clearly been agitated by her lack of response, as he had edged closer to her.

Her eyes narrowed.

"My name isn't the only one being thrown around."

Neji scoffed lightly at the kunoichi's quick, witty response, making sure that his white eyes never met hers. He kept them on the glistening bush beside her. He was sure she would notice sooner or later that he was avoiding her gaze, but only he would know the reason.

"I'm curious. When does the seducing begin?" He couldn't help but press the wrong buttons and judging by the way she had stiffened visibly at her response, she was less than happy.

"Excuse me?" He regretted his actions the moment she rose quickly to her feet, clicking her knuckles threateningly. With reluctance, he settled his eyes on her. As he took in her appearance, he clenched his teeth in restraint.

Her pink hair was tied in a scruffy, short bun at the back of her head and the uniform she had once worn was gone, replaced by one of a darker red that was tight across her chest. The fire in her eyes sent him into a flashback of how they had looked so alight with passion that night in the alleyway.

He was being shoved hard by Fate into her direction again. He knew, because his heavy feet were moving slowly by themselves towards her, unable to stop themselves. Sakura's previous angry demeanour was slowly fizzling away with each step he took, her eyes becoming uneasy and her arms dropping slowly to her side.

It seemed almost like a repeat of what had happened all those weeks ago in the alleyway. Sakura stumbled backwards, her back colliding hard with the polished, white wall behind her.

Neji - with an immense amount of strength - stopped before he could press his body against hers, like it had once before. His white eyes ran over her expression. It was filled with both anticipation and surprise.

He couldn't take it anymore. The whole thing – the undeniable connection; the erratic beats that his heart couldn't take; the urge to touch; _her, _in his mind all the time – it was overpowering. He frowned, letting out fast breaths between his clenched teeth.

Then, his hand came up and punched the concrete wall hard beside Sakura's head.

Small pieces of debris fell from the point of impact. He left his hand there, allowing his knuckles to bleed and trickle down his pale, hurting hand. He couldn't look at Sakura. His eyes were screwed shut, a large frown was etched into his brow and his jaw was tight, tense and clenched. His head tilted forwards so his long, brown hair provided a cloak around his face.

"It is impossible to be rational when you are near me. It would be best if you leave." He dropped his fist back to his side again, allowing it to fall heavily. The crimson blood slowly trickled down the still-clenched fist.

When a hand came into contact with the fist, his eyes snapped open in surprise. He looked at the owner of the hand – Sakura – and found himself fighting again. She took his fist in both of her hands, probably noticing the way it unclenched, allowing her fingers to play with his.

A smile spread over her face. The frown on his brow fell; his eyes widened.

It had been the first time he'd seen her smile... genuinely. A frown appeared on her face, yet her smile remained.

"I haven't got anywhere else to go." She released his hand and let out an exaggerated sigh, moving away from the wall to stand in the open lawn. She spread her arms wide and took a deep breath in. Neji turned sideways, watching her in fascination.

She was such an enigma.

* * *

"Tenten, I am confused. Why is Sakura in Neji's residence?" Rock Lee regarded his female teammate with a fierce, curious expression on his face. Tenten perched in the tree, watching as an expression she had never seen before crossed Neji's face. Frustration, anger... loss of control. His fist was trembling, clenched, bleeding against the wall. Sakura stared at the Hyuuga with such emotion...

A smile twitched around the brown-haired kunoichi lips.

So, the rumours were true. Obviously her pink-haired friend was not using Neji for any reason – she had known from the beginning that those kind of rumours were just pure, jealous speculation.

It certainly was a surprise to learn that the two really had an attraction. As far as rumours went, she was sure that Ino had witnessed a rather heated argument between the two instead of a heated encounter.

It turned out Ino had been right. For once.

Tenten grabbed Lee by the forearm and dragged him out of the tree, safely landing on the soft ground. Lee was still staring at her questioningly. Snorting, Tenten answered the question he had asked her previously.

"They're probably going to get together."

"Huh? But Tenten, they are already together!"

A large, impatient sigh escaped Tenten. Suddenly, she perked up and settled a forced smile on her face.

"Lee, go and ask Gai. Ask him what a man and a woman would do alone together, if they loved each other." Tenten placed two hands onto Lee's spandex-covered back. "Go on!"

"I do not understand! What is this love? What do-" Lee stopped talking when he felt the heavy weight of her forceful hands disappear from his back. Turning around, he noticed with dismay that Tenten had disappeared. Remembering her words, a determined frown settled on his face and he clenched his fist together.

"I will find Gai-sensei and ask of this love, Tenten!"

As the spunky boy hurried off, Tenten sighed in relief from behind a tree trunk. Snorting slightly, she started to head off in the direction Lee had just run. The chance of Gai giving a decent enough explanation was unlikely.

She hadn't met one person who could explain love.

* * *

"Being here is fuelling the rumours. You are only making it worse." Neji used his flat, empty tone with the kunoichi who had seated herself upon the grass again. Her eyes were shut, her arms were holding her weight as she leant back and her chest was protruding upwards dangerously. Enticingly.

He swallowed, folding his arms across his chest in an attempt to hug his emotions to himself.

"The rumours have already been spread, so there's no way to stop them." Suddenly, her position changed and she curled her knees to her chin, wrapping her arms around them. Her relaxed expression was replaced with one of despair. "It's pathetic."

It hit Neji hard.

She was affected by the rumours. A lot. He had brushed them off, not concerned with the opinions of other people. The most emotion he had felt was slight embarrassment – someone had witnessed his encounter with Sakura. It felt like an invasion of personal space.

Yet, Sakura – although strong – was obviously affected a lot. Was it not negative rumours being spread about her?

It was his fault, of course. He had lost all restraint and had created that scene in the alleyway, allowing it to be witnessed. His back straightened as a pleasurable idea came into his genius mind.

What better way to get rid of rumours, than to make them true? After announcing that Sakura Haruno was his woman _officially_, no one would dare even whisper a word of scandal.

He would announce, publicly, that anybody who breaks this rule will suffer severe consequences.

His heart was suddenly thumping in unconditional excitement. He could have her – the woman he had been fighting so hard not to get. What was stopping him? Was it the mystery? Did it scare him? Was he frightened that he would be with a woman he could not decipher? He looked at her sad, crestfallen expression. Even though he knew she was sad, he was still envying her mysterious beauty. Silky pink hair, bold emerald eyes, sharp cheekbones, plump lips.

Before he could stop it, Fate had started again. It was pushing him along the line that connected Sakura and him, shoving him closer and closer to her.

This time, he wouldn't stop.

There was only a second that Sakura had to lift her head in shock as Neji's shadow enveloped her like a warm blanket. His bloody hand grasped her pink hair and tugged it upwards hard, then, with all of the passion and lust he had held in, he smashed his lips to hers.

Taking advantage of her squeal of surprise, he slipped in tongue inside his mouth, using this as a distraction to pull her to her feet. Sakura tried to pull away, but Neji kept his grip firm. He tore his hand from the messy bun, bringing the hair band with it, before grasping her face in an unbreakable hold. He moved his silky, delicious lips against hers. The force he was throwing at her knocked her off balance and they both stumbled in a mess of tangled limbs until Sakura's back hit the wall.

He noticed that her reluctance had rapidly disappeared and now, she was kissing back with equal fervour, letting out a quiet, tense moan into his mouth when his hands moved from her face down her body.

For the first time in his life, Neji felt alive. He was in the Hyuuga garden where at any moment in time, a butler could stroll in on them, or worse, his uncle. The adrenaline was like a drug.

He was becoming human.

* * *

Heat, passion, adrenaline, desire, lust, _touch._

Hot, scorching sex.

She wanted it.

Sakura bit hard on Neji's bottom lip, at the same time allowing him to lift her thighs up, as he had done before in the alleyway. But it was different this time. Both had no restrictions.

She'd become his woman. Officially. Then she'd smack anyone who dare try and taint her name her into Suna. She wouldn't take any shit from anyone – not anymore.

Her delicate hands ran down the bare chest that Neji's white Hyuuga robes revealed and she revelled in the light, tight moan that he held in the back of his throat. It was going to take a lot to get response out of him.

The moment she felt him widen her open thighs – causing her skirt to ride up her legs – she grinded hard into his crotch. The lips that she had a hold of tore from hers and he let out a groan. His forehead dropped onto her shoulder.

She repeated the action, gasping as the very same friction that elicited a moan from him sent a large shock of pleasure down her spine. Neji's lips had pushed hard against hers once again, but in a desperate manner. She allowed her hands to sweep up to the back of his neck, brushing the pale, soft skin there lightly with her fingers as her pale, toned legs wrapped around his waist. With one, hard tug, both their arousals collided.

They both broke the kiss to let out choked moans in the back of their throats, their bruised parted lips brushing in a light, feathery kiss and their eyes shut in a haze of lust.

"Sakur-" Neji's words shot back into his throat and he let out a restrained moan as she pulled his hips towards her heat again, yet softer. She rested her head on his shoulder, panting heavily onto his neck. He shivered and copied her actions, resting his head onto her shoulder.

"Sakura," he whispered, his voice husky and warm on her soft skin. Sakura's eyes were closed as she attempted to ease the ache in the pool of her stomach. She didn't notice Neji's hand slowly edging down her side and sneaking her tight top slowly up and up and up...

Sakura's eyes shot open as his hand teased underneath her bra, but she didn't have time to protest. His nimble, soft fingers pinched her pert nipple and she let out a throaty, hard groan and then a breathless gasp. Her hands clutched tightly at his robes as he continued to roll it in his fingers.

Any words she spoke were incoherent. He wouldn't stop his actions and the ache in her stomach became worse and worse. She needed contact there.

"Neji..." Her words trailed off when Neji reached the zip at the back of her top, undoing it quickly and allowing Sakura to pull her arms free from it. The Hyuuga didn't waste time to observe her choice in underwear or the sight of her breasts; he just unhooked her bra with his quick, trained fingers and threw it to the floor. Sakura – despite being incredibly aroused – knew that they were in a place where anyone could enter and there she was, half-naked.

"Damn it, Hyuuga, anyone could see- AH." Pure heat ran through Sakura the moment Neji's hot mouth latched onto one of her nipples, sucking lightly at the bud. Sakura tried hard to keep her breathing steady as he continued his ministrations, oblivious to her previous objection. Her hands were everywhere on him; pressing his head tighter to her chest; running them down his shoulders; down his own chest.

Her mind couldn't form anything the moment he used his other hand to provide pressure on her other nipple.

After a few minutes of groaning and failed attempts to receive any contact in the place she needed it most, she came to a decision. Her hands, trembling with frustration and contained lust, brushed his chest delicately, before slowly, slowly, grasping his biceps tightly and forcing herself away from him.

In a flurry of delicate, pink cherry blossoms, the two shinobi disappeared, leaving nothing but a garden now filled with a memory.

A memory of the day they both gave in.

* * *

Gentle cotton sheets rested over the top of Sakura's pale, naked body, the evening moonlight beaming down onto it from outside her window. Neji rubbed at his brown, long hair with the soft, plush towel and then threw into what he assumed was Sakura's washing basket. Looking around her room, he admired her sense of cleanliness and the way she was neatly organised. Surprisingly, he had expected her to be more untidy and careless.

After his pale eyes had finished roaming around the room, they settled on Sakura, who was sleeping deeply into her soft, fluffy pillow, a content smile on her face. The stress that had once shown on her brow had disappeared.

Neji admired the change she had taken, unaware that he had changed himself. The barriers he had once held firmly in place had opened a little, allowing Sakura – just Sakura – to squeeze through.

Those barriers that he had once hated; the barriers that had once stopped him from creating bonds – they had let Sakura in.

And they weren't planning on letting her out.

* * *

_A/N: Yeah. I couldn't bring myself to write the full lemon... No matter how hard I tried, the words wouldn't spew from my mind. Sorry for any disappointment and also sorry for the short ending. Again, I was stunted on how to finish, so I just improvised._

_Thanks for reading!_


End file.
